Canberra still leading the way for NASA's eclipse chase

[Two's in]

Not bad for an aircraft that originated from a WWII requirement 73 years ago.

VIDEO: NASA Will Chase Upcoming Total Solar Eclipse Shadow In Retrofitted WB-57F Jets |

[Trim Stab]

Originally Posted by Two's in

Not bad for an aircraft that originated from a WWII requirement 73 years ago.

VIDEO: NASA Will Chase Upcoming Total Solar Eclipse Shadow In Retrofitted WB-57F Jets |

I often wonder whether partly reason that it's high altitude efficiency has not been surpassed by more modern airframes is that in a more modern era such an airframe would be considered too dangerous and difficult to handle at take-off and approach/landing phases. I did start a thread a few years ago about "flying the Canberra" as it looks like a really difficult bird during some phases of flight. I suspect it is a delight at hight altitude though.

[msbbarratt]

Originally Posted by Trim Stab

I often wonder whether partly reason that it's high altitude efficiency has not been surpassed by more modern airframes is that in a more modern era such an airframe would be considered too dangerous and difficult to handle at take-off and approach/landing phases. I did start a thread a few years ago about "flying the Canberra" as it looks like a really difficult bird during some phases of flight. I suspect it is a delight at hight altitude though.

I don't know, but I suspect that in this modern age of digital flight controls any kind of difficulty can be ironed out, at least to some extent. I suspect that quite a lot of today's whizzy fast jets can get that high, though perhaps not for very long.

I suppose the attraction of the Canberra is that modifications (like bolting on a telescope) are comparatively easy and it can also fly high up for a long time. Still a fairly unique combination of attributes.

[Wander00]

Canberra was nice to fly, although assymetric it could catch the unwary or cavalier

[ACW342]

Canberra Asymmetric

In 1969 I was a shiny new LAC AATC at Wattisham. During one evening shift I went out to the runway caravan to learn about the runway controllers job. At about 18:30 a Canberra (BI8 IIRC) was conducting a practice asymmetric approach on PAR. At about a mile the aeroplane seemed, to my then inexperienced eyes, to shudder and suddenly the left wing dropped and the aircraft completed about 270˚ before impacting the ground left wing tip and nose first. Both crew died. This was the 23rd fatal Canberra practice asymmetric and I still get the occasional flashback of this and was quite a sobering introduction to the dangers of military flying. I think I'm right in that there never was a fatal real asymmetric Canberra accident.

A342

[polecat2]

I think I'm right in that there never was a fatal real asymmetric Canberra accident.

I know of at least two - 3 Sqdn B(I)8 at Akrotiri December 1970 (crew and 1 passenger killed)and 98 Sqdn E15 at Cottesmore during 1971 (crew ejected safely).

Your comment may be true for the Meteor which suffered a similar problem.

Polecat

[spectre150]

I think I'm right in that there never was a fatal real asymmetric Canberra accident.

100 Sqn banner towing sortie, Akrotiri, Nov 80 (?). We lost Paddy and mark that day. Pretty sure it was an engine failure on take off.

[MPN11]

The Canberra had its formal origins in a 1944 requirement issued by the Air Ministry for a successor to the de Havilland Mosquito. This requirement, the initial revision being E.3/45, sought a high altitude, high-speed bomber which was to be equipped with no defensive armament.

Gosh, to think we're the same age ... although I haven't been modified or developed quite as much.

[longer ron]

Originally Posted by spectre150

100 Sqn banner towing sortie, Akrotiri, Nov 80 (?). We lost Paddy and mark that day. Pretty sure it was an engine failure on take off.

Yes - that was tragic - I believe Paddy was near to retirement

From the ASN website...

Owner/operator: 100 Sqn RAF
Registration: WH667
C/n / msn: 71144
Fatalities: Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities: 0
Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location: Akrotiri - Cyprus
Phase: Take off
Nature: Military
Departure airport: Akrotiri, Cyprus
Destination airport:
Narrative:
Written off 7.11.1980: Engine blew up on take-off from RAF Akortiri, Cuprus, aircraft rolled, hit ground and was destroyed by fire. Both crew killed

Crew:
Pilot: Sqn/Ldr George William "Paddy" Thompson RAF killed
Nav: F/O Mark Wray RAF ejected but killed

[binbrook]

Dear me, Canberra asymmetric again! Someone will correct me but I can't recall an accident to a Canberra (Mk 2 to 8 anyway) caused directly by a real EFATO, even though there was sometimes a very big gap between rotate and crit speed let alone safety speed - the accidents happened on the subsequent approach. Once the flaps were down it needed a lot of power on a single engine to make a significant change to the RoD, and at one time Bassingbourn was certainly teaching flap down at the top of the G/P, when it was far better to make a flapless approach and lower the flap very late. It's all a long time ago.

Sadly I have been corrected. And I knew Paddy.

[Old Fella]

Originally Posted by Two's in

Not bad for an aircraft that originated from a WWII requirement 73 years ago.

VIDEO: NASA Will Chase Upcoming Total Solar Eclipse Shadow In Retrofitted WB-57F Jets |

Not much in common with the original EE Canberra though.

[Wander00]

ISTR (long time ago) lower flap not above 600' and when sure to get in




orwas that the icing let-down?

[mikemmb]

Originally Posted by polecat2

I think I'm right in that there never was a fatal real asymmetric Canberra accident.

I know of at least two - 3 Sqdn B(I)8 at Akrotiri December 1970 (crew and 1 passenger killed)and 98 Sqdn E15 at Cottesmore during 1971 (crew ejected safely).

Your comment may be true for the Meteor which suffered a similar problem.

Polecat

I watched the Akrotiri crash and knew the guy who went up for a jolly.......often get flashbacks.

[Valiantone]

ACW342

The incident you sadly witnessed was likely the 85 Sqn B.2 which crashed at Wattisham on 27th July 1970.

V1